Lompoc Brewing Is Closing

Lompoc Brewing, one of the city’s OG brewpubs, is saying goodbye. A press release was sent out today that detailed the upcoming closure, which will happen next week on Tuesday, October 29. The Lompoc’s two pubs—5th Quadrant and Sidebar, both located on North Williams—will shut their doors, as well as the brewery itself. An affiliated pub, Oaks Bottom Public House, will remain in business as an independent operation. It is owned and run by Jerry Fechter, who ran Lompoc Brewing over the years.

Fechter started the brewery in 1996 as Old Lompoc Brewing, a brewpub on Northwest 23rd Avenue. It was renamed New Old Lompoc when Horse Brass publican Don Younger got involved. The local chain eventually included a satellite pub on Southeast Division called Hedge House (now the home of Little Beast Brewing’s Beer Garden pub), although both locations closed down in the past couple of years.

Lompoc’s brewer Bryan Keilty has found another brewery to ply his trade, and a severance package is being offered to employees, with as many as possible being taken on at Oaks Bottom. Lompoc’s remaining beer will be sold at Oaks Bottom following the two North Williams pubs shutting their doors next week. A garage sale will be held on Saturday, November 2 at the Sidecar bar from noon to 5 pm, where people can buy glassware, merch, and aged Lompoc beer. Today’s press release says, “Fechter would like to thank everyone for their support over the past 23 years. To quote another Jerry, ‘What a long strange trip it’s been.'”

In addition to being part of the city’s ’90s-’00s wave of craft beer, Lompoc Brewing took part in special Mercury events like Burger Week and Nacho Week as well as great events of their own, like the annual Chowder Challenge and the Black Out Beer Fest. They were essential to the fabric of Portland, and will be sorely missed.